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First:
Is it true that business school does not do much for you unless you go to a top 15?

I know this question has been posed many times and I have heard from some that it is true, from others that it isn't and yet others that it all depends on me. I personally went to Santa Clara University, a relatively unknown school (except the Bay Area) and have been able to be relatively sucessful, so you would think that that itself would answer my question but I'm don't see the two connecting. I have a degree in chemistry and that regardless of school is more rare than a business degree. And because I have such a specific skill people can overlook my school because they need my specific skill. I don't think that is the case for business, so it seems to me that pedigree would matter more, but I really don't know.

Second:
How do I find other schools that have the same "personality" as UCLA?

I have gone to info sessions of some top b-schools, namely, UCLA, Stanford, Columbia and Michigan. From Columbia I got the vibe that everyone who goes there must have a type A personality. From Stanford I got the vibe that to be admitted you must be extremely unconvential, Michigan and UCLA were almost alike in their vibe although it seemed to me that the Michigan folk were a little more Type A then UCLA. Now I know my comments might sound a bit ridiculous but a school's personality is extremely important to me. I by no means am a type A personality. I am as willing to let people lead as I am willing to lead. If I don't know what I'm talking about, I shut my mouth and listen and although I am competitive, I compete mostly with myself. I know I couldn't fit in at a place like Harvard or Wharton because of what I have heard about the people who go there, but I got the sense (atleast from the info session) that I would fit into the culture at UCLA. But UCLA happens to also be a very difficult school to get into and no matter how hard I try there are no guarantees. So what other schools (that are good enough to give me good job prospects coming out) are like UCLA. Apart from the personality, I like their AMR (Applied Management Research) program which gives you hands on training while at Business school. As someone who did scientific research in college I understand and appreciate the importance of applying theory.

Third Question:
Should I talk about this in my apps?

This is more of a personal question that I have been struggling with for ages. I was going to graduate school in chemistry years ago and I quit. I quit because I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I suppose I have had it all my life but it came on in full swing after a near fatal car accident, when a drunk driver hit me and nearly killed me, himself and his passenger. That period of my life was tough, but I got through it and one of my biggest accomplishments in life was getting through it. Now I am stable with meds and therapy and for the last four years I have been able to build a pretty successful life. The thing about it is that no one knows. My fiance knows, my family knows but of course no one at my work or even some of my friends know. The only reason I have the courage to post this here is because no one here knows what I look like. Unlike most stories, it is messy, it is fraught with failures but in my mind it is one of the biggest accomplishments of my life. When it comes time to apply I want to talk about it, as one of my accomplishments because I cannot think of anything better than I have done with my life. But I'm afraid of sounding "crazy". And I'm afraid the adcom people will reject me because they'll think I can't handle the stress. So should I talk abou this? _________________

1. I plan to provide extensive coverage of this issue over the next few months. Note, however, that many of the trans elite provide opportunities that resemble those of the elite schools (e.g. Carnegie Mellon and UNC).

2. The personality of a school tends to be highly subjective, ie my opinion might differ from someone else's. However, I can suggest some schools. For instance, UCB resembles UCLA in many ways (the are part of the same "University" after all) and I would also consider the other UC programs. USC has a similar Southern California feeling (although it would be difficult for most Bruins or Trojans to admit this). University of Washington and ASU are also worth considering.